Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1887-08-27


Indiyidualism has undoubtedly been
strong in the past, but it was not so
much characteristic of the nation,
as characteristic Of the period.
The fact is that, as ! have defined
the terms, indivdualism and social
ism cannot both exist in the same
person, or be dominant in the same
nation at the same time; they may,
and in fact do. exist by turns.
There seems to be u rhythm of the
human mind; at one time it is char
acterized by one sentiment, and in
the succeeding period by the other,
moving from one to the other, like
the pendulum of clock. The past
which we have just emerged from
has been intensely individnalistic in
all civilized nations, but just as sure
the socialist sentiment is now every
where moving to the front. And |
maintain, in opposition to George,
that the Anglo-Saxons are distin-
gushing themselves by nnrturlng
that new sentiment. 1t can be con-
clusivcIy proved. Is it not fact
that trhdcs-unionlsm has during this
century taken its rise among them,
and that it is among the English and
Americans that it has reached its
highest development? What is the
essence of tradcs-unionism? That
the individual subordinatcs his in
tcrcst to the interest of the organiza-
ton, that every person merges him
self in the whole body, that private
Judgment allows itself to be over
ruled by the collective Judgment.
That is the reverse of indiyidualism;
it is the essence of Socialism.
1t is not at all rare experience,
both in England and here, Of Social
list agitators that after having ex-
pounded Socialism to an audience,
they hear the exclamation: Well, if
that is Socialism, then we are already
Socialists. There was nothing in
all these weak articles of George on
Socialism that surprised me more
than reading this phrase, that it was
can crotic b0rn Of EUropeon c0udj-
hons. that cannot take root and flour
sh in American SOIL What a vul-
gar expression from such a great
philosopher as Henry George
If, again, he would have only dis
Hnguished, eXerted the analytic pow
ers of which he is so proud, he would
not. also, have fallen into blunder.
One may by surrounding circum-
stances be made into Socialist. but
not by the talk of another. The
socialist thought, sentiment, is one
that takes rise and is developed in
the mind itself, and all that another's
talk can do is to give conscious form
to this thought and sentiment.
"The great thing we should aim
to secure is fieclom There we agree
with Henry George. |, however,
suspect that what he means by
'Greedom" is merely "absence of re-
straints," while Socialists mean
something far more substantial, /. g.. i,
in addition: Independence, means
for living the life worthy of human
being. But as George seems most
concerned with absence Of restraints,
and still insists that this Is incom-
patiole with Socialism, shall in the
following take "freedom" in that
sense.
George, then, repeats the old
charge. so often launched, that we
want to make "the State everything
and the individual nothing"
And | maintain that Socialism
wants to institute the most perfect
selt-gorernDleHt.
George, certainly, must have
known of some cooperative estab-
llshments. Will he maintain, that
he found less freedom there, for the
workers in whatever capacity. than
in a common shop or store, with its
employer and employed? Will he
maintain that there the "establish-
mcnt' was everything and the indi-
yidual nothing?
If not, then he is in honor bound to
admit that he has wronged the 600
operative Commonwealth" for, truly,
it is intended to be IA vast co-opera-
tive establishment, nothing but a
small cooperative concern on large
scale.